


Past Mistakes

by SuzyQSky



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Female Reader, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change, Reader-Insert, Tags May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-08-14
Packaged: 2020-05-15 15:50:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19298878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuzyQSky/pseuds/SuzyQSky
Summary: Everywhere you looked, there were reminders of it. Your biggest mistake. By now it seemed as though it would haunt you as long as you lived, and then some. The stars, the sun, the moon, the sky. Once again, you told yourself that you would fix it.You would make your past mistakes right.In which you make a few big mistakes and try your hardest to fix them.I can't really say anything else without spoiling, so...





	1. Chapter 1

You had made many mistakes before, that was true.

Lightning cracked in the distance and wind howled around you, nearly tearing your cloak from your shoulders. Your knuckles were white from your grip on the doorframe of your small house. The basket rocked in the storm from its position on your step. A chubby hand poked out from the blankets swaddling the infant and they cried, though it could hardly be heard over the wind. You reached down to steady the basket, still holding the doorframe. The hand retreated as a drop of ice-cold water fell from the angry sky. You looked around in a panic, hoping - no, praying - that the parents were somewhere nearby. But no one was there. You grabbed the basket and brought it, as well as the infant, inside.

Hopefully, this would not be one of them.

After locking the door, you set the basket down on your table, lifting the infant out. Despite the blankets, their skin was cold. You held them closer to your chest in the hopes that it would warm them faster. They quieted, though they didn’t seem quite content. Freeing one hand, you searched the basket for something, anything that would explain the situation. There was a card at the bottom, though there wasn’t much on it.

_I’m sorry to do this. I do hope you take Frisk in and raise him as your own. I am unable, and I have heard of your kindness. I had no other choice._

You looked back to the baby. “Hello, Frisk.” His face softened at the sound of his name and he made a happy gurgle. A smile crossed your features. “It seems you’ll be staying a while. I’d better make this place a little more child-friendly.” You transferred him to your non-dominant hand so you could work with fewer complications. You called upon the magic in your soul, weaving it into a respectably sized crib, complete with his name etched into the side. You took the blankets he had come here in and made it more comfortable before placing him in, feet first. “I’ll be back in one moment,” you told him, giving him a small boop on the nose.  
You opened a small closet under the stairs where you kept gently used children’s things. A stuffed goat, a clean pacifier, and a dry blanket joined him in the crib. He grabbed at the goat, giggling when he finally got a good hold on it.

Your back door was opened and quickly shut, presumably to keep the rain out. “Sorry to barge in like this, but we couldn’t exactly get home with the storm out there,” came a voice from the other room. “Especially not with the little one. With wind like that, she could’ve been blown away.” Arial stepped through the doorway, accompanied by her daughter Cambria, who you called Cam for short.

“Hello, Arial, Cam. It’s nice to see you and know you’re okay.” Thunder boomed outside and Cambria flinched, reaching for her mother’s leg. “Yes, the storm is rather worrisome.” You looked at their soaked forms. “Would either of you like a change of clothes? Hot chocolate?”

Arial let out a half-hearted laugh. “That would be wonderful.”

“I’ll get that started then, there are spare clothes upstairs. I’m sure something will fit while yours dry.” You turned to the kitchen as they left for the upstairs. You eyed the baby, debating for a moment before deciding he probably wouldn’t like something too hot.

Using a recipe your mother taught you when you were a kid, you produced three steaming mugs of hot chocolate. You also managed to find something for Frisk - you didn’t know when he’d last been fed. He sucked on the bottle happily, he could clearly manage on his own. Cambria tromped down the stairs, now wearing a dry set of clothes.

At seven years old, she was a quiet kid, but that wasn’t to say she didn’t speak her mind. She had a rather short temper, especially when it regarded her friends or family. She really didn’t like bullies, to say the least. Most of the time, she wore a bright smile that most of the adult monsters hadn’t shown in years. Yes, they were monsters. Skeletons, in fact.

You pulled your soaking cloak off, hanging it near the door as she sat herself down at the table and grabbed a mug. You took a seat next to her, doing the same. “How are you, Cam?”

“Good.” She didn’t elaborate, but her expression showed that she had other things on her mind.

You set your mug down in front of you. “Whatcha thinking about?”

She let out a sigh. “Dad told me about the Underground and the Barrier a while ago, and I just can’t stop wondering what it’s like down there.” She paused. “My brothers could be down there.”

You thought for a moment. “They probably are. If they’re not here, that’s the only other place they could be.” Guilt settled on your shoulders.

Arial appeared in the chair on the other side of Cambria. “Sorry I took so long, I was just freshening up.” She noticed the almost dejected look on Cam’s face. “What’s up? You’re not thinking about Mt. Ebott again, are you?”

“I can’t blame you. I think about them too. I hope they’re alright down there, but I can’t guarantee.” Your grip on your mug tightened. “I should’ve done more-”

Arial gripped your shoulder. “You’ve done plenty, just keeping us safe. If not for you, so many more deaths would have come to pass. It’s not your fault they’re down there.”

“What if you took down the Barrier?”

You turned wide eyes to Cambria. “That’s… I don’t know. I’m not sure humans are ready to accept another species living amongst them. Even so, I’m not sure I could take it down on my own. Luther surely wouldn’t help.” You drummed your fingers on the wood surface. “But I can feel it weakening. Since the deaths of the others, it’s become frailer than before. And after Asriel…” you trailed off.

“Could the king have taken action?” Arial asked.

“Perhaps. It’s feasible that one could destroy the barrier if they had the power of seven human souls, and considering the number of disappearances near the mountain in the last centuries… it wouldn’t surprise me if he held a grudge against humans for what we did.” You chewed on your bottom lip. “Mae always said the best course of action was to wait until the best moment, but I’m beginning to think that moment has passed.”  
Tension filled the room, thick enough to cut with a knife.

The sound of a plastic bottle clattering to the ground pulled you and the two skeletons from your thoughts. Frisk looked at the empty bottle on the floor with a blank expression. Excusing yourself, you stood up and picked it up off the ground with the intent to clean it. Frisk held up his arms in your direction, clearly signaling to be picked up. Smiling, you scooped him up and held him on your hip.

“I was going to ask about that,” Arial remarked. “Why do you have a human child all of a sudden? Last I checked, you lived alone.”

“He was left on the porch in a basket,” you said, gesturing to said basket.

“In this storm?! What kind of person would leave an innocent child in the rain in just a basket?” She was on her feet now, her hands pressing into the wood of the table.

“A desperate one, it would seem. There was a note. I’m guessing his mother fell ill, seriously so. I couldn’t leave him out there… probably what she wanted.” You gave Frisk a sympathetic look, though it didn’t seem to register.

Arial glanced at the note, skimming the words. “Are you keeping him, then?”

You smiled. “There will always be room in this family for another, no matter where they come from.”

Cambria looked at him with interest. “So that’s what a human baby looks like…”

“I wouldn’t quite call Frisk a baby. He’s closer to a toddler. I wish I had an age, or a last name. If I had to guess, I’d say he’s around two, but I don’t have a birthday, either.” You chewed on your lip.

Cambria thought for a moment. “How about we say today is his birthday, and he’s two years old. We can introduce him to everyone when the rain lets up.”

You smiled at her. “Sounds like a plan to me.” She gave you one of her signature smiles.

You sat together in content silence, sipping hot chocolate until the rain started to ease up to a drizzle. The lightning stopped a few hours later, and the wind calmed to an acceptable speed.

Cambria poked her head out the newly open window in your kitchen, letting a few raindrops fall on her face. “It’s not raining so hard now,” she said. Now without the angry grey clouds covering the sky and obstructing the sun, you had a clear view of Mt. Ebott from that particular window. As far as mountains went, it was fairly bland, but knowing what was underneath made it all the more interesting. It had a wide base and wasn’t very high, maybe a few thousand feet at most. By now, there had been enough disappearances near or on the mountain that it was prohibited for the general public, but there was a fair-sized city nearby. A few hundred years ago, it was just a small village, but these days it was a thriving city brimming with humans. You could only assume that was where Frisk’s mother or father came from. There wasn’t any other civilization for miles, just farmland. Other than the other six cabins, of course, but several were empty.

“I suppose I can clear the two of you to go home, but I’m sending you with an umbrella,” you responded.

“Our clothes should be dry by now, so we can change. Cambria?” Arial started up the stairs.

“Coming, mom!” Cambria tore herself away from the window and bounded up the stairs with her mother.

With Frisk now in a conjured high chair, you took the dirty dishes and placed them in the dishwasher to clean. Modern technology certainly had its perks, especially around Thanksgiving when you had guests over for dinner and not enough energy to do dishes by hand.

You gazed out the window at the mountain. What was life like underground? You hoped they had enough to eat with so little sun. You hoped there wasn’t anarchy. You hoped they were happy down there. Most of all, you hoped they understood your intentions. Of course, what were the odds of them forgiving you? Low, you assumed. That was another reason you were so hesitant to release them into the human world. You liked to think they were good people, and that humans were too, but even the best of people can hold grudges against those who would ruin their lives. You bit your lip.

You could feel the magic of the Barrier from your cabin, not quite breathing, not quite alive. It was a powerful piece of magic. You knew Luther was proud of it. You could only hope it would hold until humanity was ready.

Frisk suddenly smacked his hands against the table, adamant to be picked up. The sound brought you back to the present, out of your self-doubt. As you looked at him, he smacked his hands down again. “Alright, I’m coming.” You lifted the struggling toddler out of the chair. He calmed down as you pulled him close. “You just want to be cuddled, don’t you?” He gave you a look that told you that you were spot-on. You smiled. He really was a cute kid.

Quick footsteps told you Cambria was on her way back down. “Mom, hurry up!” Her feet hit the floor and she hurried over to her still damp shoes before Arial started down the stairs. You often wondered where she got all that energy from, seeing as neither of her parents was particularly hyper. You assumed it was just her age; maybe she would mellow out with time.

“I’m coming!” Arial announced as she descended the stairs. You grabbed an umbrella for yourself and gave one to Cambria as Arial hit the bottom few steps. She grabbed one and started to open it before being told off by her daughter about ‘bad luck.’

“Don’t open umbrellas inside! You’ll have seven years of bad luck!”

“That’s breaking mirrors, but it is unlucky,” you pointed out.

“Right, sorry. Should we get going, then? I assume you’re taking Frisk out to meet everyone.”

“Yeah, and I wanted to check on a few friends. How’s your husband doing?” you asked as you stepped outside and, miraculously, opened an umbrella while holding a small child.

“He’s still concerned about everyone underground, as usual. I think he’s looking for a way to break the barrier without the help of the other magicians. Personally, I think it’s a waste of time, but I understand where he’s coming from. He’s worried about our boys, his apprentice, all our friends that were trapped…” she trailed off, lost in thought.

You nodded absentmindedly. “I understand where you’re coming from. They’re so close, and yet so far.” You looked around you, at the small village of monster citizens you had helped create so long ago. “I wish I could’ve done more.”

Arial gave you a sympathetic look. “You’ve already done so much for us. You deserve a rest… it’s like you never stop working to keep everyone around you happy and believe me when I say we all appreciate it. Without you, I’m not sure I’d be here today, and the same goes for so many others.” She looked at Cambria with love. “And now you have a kid of your own to take care of… just promise me you won’t forget your own needs, okay?”

“I promise. But don’t start thinking that means I’m leaving you on your own.” You gave her a cheeky smile. “You’re not getting rid of me this late in the game.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Cambria ran ahead to the hand-built house she shared with her mother and father and threw the door open before running inside. Moments later, Wing Ding, or W.D. as he preferred, stepped out onto the sodden grass with his daughter to see you and Arial approaching.

You smiled and waved. “Dr. Gaster, it’s good to see you again!”

“I was wondering where my girls had taken shelter. Thank you for keeping them out of the storm.” Dr. Gaster was certainly a character. It took you a while to gain his trust after the rest of the monsters had been sealed away, including his two sons. He was a brilliant scientist, a loving father, and certainly one of the most mysterious people you’d ever met. He also had the most difficult handwriting to read, though you’d finally figured out how to decipher it after repeated looks at notes he’d sent you with questions about the Barrier. He was fluent in sign language, a skill you had picked up from watching him for long enough periods of time. He had razor-sharp focus that you could never come close to rival, which was most often dedicated to his research. All in all, you admired him.

“Of course. Couldn’t leave them to freeze, now could I?”

He greeted his wife with a kiss on the cheekbone, leaving a light blue blush on her face. He turned his attention to Frisk. “Who’s this little one?”

Frisk, who had nearly fallen asleep on the way here, was now staring wide-eyed at the skeleton. “This is Frisk. I found him on my porch during the storm.” Frisk started making grabby-hands at Dr. Gaster.

“Poor thing…” he said as he reached forward to fulfill the child’s request. You handed Frisk to him with only a little reluctance. Frisk was eager to inspect this new person, as was evident by his roaming hands. “He was abandoned?”

“Yeah, it would seem so. Whoever left him must have wanted me to take him in, enough to leave a helpless kid in a storm like that. They left a note with him, but it was vague at best.” Frisk started chewing on his sweater as Dr. Gaster turned his attention back to you.

“What did it say?”

“It wasn’t long, but it was basically an apology. No contact information, anything like that. It gave his name and vague reasoning, but that was about it.” You crossed your arms, peeved that someone would choose the most archaic option to give away a child. “It still baffles me that they didn’t just find an adoption agency or some, any other way to do this.”

Gaster gently pried his sweater from Frisk’s hands and mouth. “Lucky for him, he’s got you now.” He gave you an encouraging smile. “He’ll grow up surrounded by people who love him.” He handed Frisk back to you.  
“He does seem to have that effect on people.” You found it odd that you had only been around him for a few hours, yet you felt so strongly for his safety. “He’s going to be a real heartbreaker when he grows up.”

Gaster barked out a short laugh. “That’s for sure. He’ll have people falling over themselves for the chance to have a conversation with him.”

“Honey, come inside! You’re getting wet!” Arial called from the doorway of their house.

“Just a moment!” he called back. “It was nice seeing you, (Y/n). I hope you’ll bring Frisk around in the future.” He laid a hand on Frisk’s head. “It was nice meeting you, Frisk. I’m not opposed to babysitting, should you ever need me to.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll see you soon, Gaster.”

He waved as you continued down the path to another residence you needed to check on today, just to make sure he was well.

Your destination was a smaller house on the outskirts of the small village. Other monsters waved at you from their windows while their children played in the rain. The gravel of the road stuck in the crevices on the soles of your shoes, something you’d have to take care of when you got home.

As you approached, the number of people out and about lessened. The other people who lived around here weren’t as friendly as the ones nearer to your cabin. They’d all gotten here at the same time, so it made sense to you that the less talkative folk would prefer to be farther from the others, but this particular monster hadn’t had a choice about the location of his house. This was the closest empty one to you, but it was still a few minutes walk.

You knocked on the door, hoping he was home. You could hear shuffling from the inside of the house before the door opened, revealing the newest resident of your small community. His white fur was damp, as though he’d been out in the rain recently. He wore a dark green jacket with yellow lining and jeans, and his face lit up when he saw you.

“(Y/n), hey! Good to see you. It’s been-” he cut himself off as he noticed Frisk in your arms.

“Asriel, it’s good to see you. Mind if we come in? It’s a bit wet out here.”

“Yeah, sure, come on in.” He looked at Frisk in unhidden wonder as he stepped aside to let you in.

You liked Asriel’s house. It wasn’t big, but it was very homey, especially after he’d moved in. It was domestically decorated, almost like he lived with his mom. There were flowers, buttercups to be exact, in vases on the table and shelves, and everything just seemed to have a feminine touch despite it being a bachelor pad. Asriel was certainly a good decorator. Before he moved in, it was a drab place, there was hardly any color and half the lights weren’t working, but he fixed it up and made himself right at home.

“So, what’s up with the kid?” he asked, closing the door.

“This is Frisk,” you said, holding him out to Asriel, who took him in his arms. Frisk seemed content to play with his floppy ears and fluffy muzzle. You couldn’t blame him. As he was growing up, you’d done the same thing. “I found him outside in the storm.”

“What about his parents?” he asked. He winced as Frisk pulled a little too hard on his ear.

“It would seem they couldn’t take care of him. There was a note with him on my porch.” You smiled at the interaction between the two.

“So… you’re keeping him?” Asriel’s eyes were wide.

“I can’t leave him alone. And besides, I kept you. Why should he be any different?” You ran a loving hand through Frisk’s hair. After one more tug on Asriel’s ear, he was satisfied and settled for feeling his fur.

“That’s… fair. But this is a big thing. This kid’s a human.” He adjusted Frisk onto his hip. “If he grows up around here, he’ll know about monsters.”

“I know, but I’m not worried. I have a feeling he’s going to be a good kid.”

“But… he’ll notice that he’s different. What if he decides to leave when he gets older? He could tell anyone about us.” He gave Frisk a worried look.

You laid a hand on Asriel’s shoulder. “I know you have trouble trusting most humans, but I’d like you to trust me. Call it a hunch, but I have a good feeling about him.”

Asriel gave you a wary look. “I do trust you. You know that. How could I not? You saved my life when I was a kid, and knowing what you do here… You’re one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and I know you do your best, but…” he trailed off.

“I don’t blame you,” you told him, “I understand where this is coming from.”

“Do you?”

“I know you better than you think, Asriel. But I have to ask, is this really coming from distrust, or is it something else?” You gave him a knowing look.

He was quiet. “He looks so much like them.” He took a shaky breath. “I don’t want to lose anyone else.” He was barely audible. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from Frisk, as though if he were to look away he might vanish.

There was that effect again. Only a few minutes and Asriel’s heart was touched by a kid he knew next to nothing about.

“You don’t have to,” you told him, your voice quiet. A small smile broke out across his face and Frisk grabbed at his showing teeth.

“I know what you mean,” he said, his voice slightly hoarse. “When you say you get a good feeling. I get it.”

“I got the same feeling when I picked up you,” you told him, “and you turned out just fine.” Frisk settled down against his chest and Asriel let himself smile, fully this time. A comfortable silence settled over the three of you.

Until the sound of the oven timer beeping jarred you back to reality.

“Sorry, I was making pie.” He handed Frisk back to you so he could attend to the oven. Emotions had been so intense you hadn’t even noticed the mouth-watering smell of butterscotch, enhanced when he opened the oven to get it out.

“Smells delicious.”

“It’s my mom’s recipe. We used to make it a lot when I was a kid.” Carefully, he pulled a golden brown pie out and set it on a cooling rack. “I’ve been trying to get the right butterscotch to cinnamon ratio for the past few days, but I think I’ve got it this time. Would you like a piece?”

You smiled. When you’d first met this kid, he was on death’s door, and now here he was, baking pies. “I’d love some.” Frisk eyed the pie with interest. “And it looks to me like Frisk wants some too.”

“You might want to let it cool before he has any. Wouldn’t want him to burn himself,” he said as he plated two big pieces and one smaller one for Frisk.

You sat down at the table to catch up and eat the pie - it was delicious, but he thought there was a bit too much cinnamon. Yes, his garden was going well. Yes, he’d made a few friends after they knocked on his door asking about the scent of pie. No, he hadn’t seen any humans come by recently, except you, of course.

“I was thinking…” you started

“What about?”

“How would you feel about helping me decorate a room for Frisk. You’ve done a great job with this place, and I thought you’d probably be better at it than me.”

Asriel stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth, then lowered it back to his plate. “Really? I’d love to. It’s been a while since I’ve had the chance.”

“Wonderful. When are you free?”

“Any time works. My schedule is pretty flexible. Heck, I could come over after this if you want.”

“No, I wouldn’t want to spring this on you without warning. How about tomorrow afternoon?” you suggested.

“Works for me.” He took another bite of pie.

You ate the rest of your pie in comfortable silence, though you did keep an eye on Frisk to make sure he wasn’t making too much of a mess of himself. He was actually surprisingly clean. You were impressed at the lack of pie on the floor around him.

After your last bite, you stood up to wash the dishes. Asriel didn’t bother arguing, not after this long. He knew you well enough to know you wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to this sort of thing, but he did join you by the sink. Side by side, you washed dishes in comfortable silence.

“Thanks for coming over,” he said, breaking the silence.

“Of course, it’s no problem. I like coming to see you, I just wish I had more time to spend with you.” It wasn’t a lie. Ever since he moved out, your house had felt empty. The size of it didn’t help. “You’re always welcome to come visit me, if you want. I don’t mind visitors.”

“I know, I just don’t want to bother you when you’re busy.”

You set the plate down in the soapy water and turned to face him. “I will always make time for you, and don’t you ever forget it.”

His expression turned sheepish. “Yeah, I got it.” Satisfied, you finished both yours and Frisk’s plates. A quick glance at the child told you he was getting sleepy, ready for a nap. You dried your hands on a towel and gave Asriel a hug goodbye before heading back to your own residence.

It was nearly dark by the time you stepped through your back door into your house. You quickly locked up as Frisk drooled on your shirt - you might have to wash that later. You quickly decided to put Frisk in the bedroom next to yours, conjoined by a toy closet. Though you were tired after a long day - or perhaps because you were tired - you used a bit of magic to move his crib into the room. As far as bedrooms went, it was pretty bland. Cream colored walls with brown trim, a soft white carpet and white curtains on the window. That was about all that was there. Even after moving the crib and plugging in a night light, it was only the bare bones of a child’s room. Thankfully, it wouldn’t be that way for long.

Frisk looked so peaceful when he slept, cuddling his new goat friend. You pressed a quick kiss to his forehead - you couldn’t help yourself - and turned off the light before quietly heading into your own bedroom.  
Your room was fairly nondescript. There was a bed, desk, and computer, along with a comfortable armchair that probably belonged in the living room, but you already had too many chairs down there. Maybe you would move it to Frisk’s room. It wasn’t much, but it was homey.

You caught a glimpse of the stars as you reached to close the curtains. Without the light pollution of the city, you could easily make out constellations. You’d taken the stars for granted when you were a kid, but now you could really see how beautiful they were. Guilt settled itself in you as your mind wandered to the monsters trapped underground. For the foreseeable future, they wouldn’t get to see something so beautiful.

Everywhere you looked, there were reminders of it. Your biggest mistake. By now it seemed as though it would haunt you as long as you lived, and then some. The stars, the sun, the moon, the sky. Once again, you told yourself that you would fix it.

You would make your past mistakes right.


	2. Chapter 2

“Careful, the doorways are low.”

_Thwack,_ “Ow!” Asriel instinctively reached up to rub the back of his skull, and the box tilted in one direction, enough that you almost dropped it.

“Azzy, are you okay?!”

“Yeah, I’m fine, Frisk.” Asriel put his hand back on the box before it could fall directly onto you. In hindsight, maybe you should’ve been the one going up the stairs backward. Oh well, too late now.

Asriel ducked his head this time as he passed through the doorway into the upstairs hall. You continued up the stairs, huffing and puffing the entire way, knowing that once you got to the top of the stairs, you could just drag it along the floor. How could a bookcase be so heavy? Once your foot hit the top stair, you immediately dropped the box and leaned against it to catch your breath. Frisk jumped from their place on top of the box and demanded ‘Azzy’ showed them where it hurts.

Ever since Frisk had started speaking a few years ago, they became quite demanding. They decided they didn’t like using male pronouns, instead opting for gender-neutral ones. They decided there wasn’t enough color in the house, so they picked flowers for hours with Cambria. You came home to find every surface littered with flowers of all colors. Half those flowers didn’t even grow anywhere near you. They also managed to make friends with every single monster in the nearby vicinity - even the shut-ins at the edge of the village and the ones most could barely stand. You still weren’t sure what they saw in Gerald, the rude old rat monster that insulted everyone he knew. Frisk was certainly a determined kid, to say the least.

Asriel insisted to Frisk that he was fine, but they weren’t convinced. The four-year-old refused to let him continue until they hugged him to make it feel better. Asriel, who knew better than to decline, squeezed them tight. You found their relationship adorable, as most would.

Asriel, now ‘all better,’ started shoving the box toward Frisk’s room. Frisk tried to help, but their little legs couldn’t quite keep up with Asriel’s long strides. In no time, the box was situated in the center of their room. Asriel cut the tape holding the top closed with a claw, revealing the wooden pieces of the bookshelf you would have to assemble with the instructions on top. You plucked the packet from the top and started skimming the instructions, deducing that this would take a while.

Several hours, splinters, and missing pieces later, you had a tall white bookcase and a snoring Frisk. It fit the lighter theme of the room well, and the lack of a backboard showed the design on the walls when it was pushed against one. Two years ago, Asriel and yourself, with the input of Cambria, had painstakingly put the room together. The walls were several different colors. One was a light green, another a dark pink, and a third was denim blue. The last wall, with a window in the center, depicted a field of flowers in front of a bright blue sky. Cambria had done a good job on it. She was a very good artist, despite not even being ten.

You checked your watch, it was almost eight. It was no wonder Frisk fell asleep - it was nearing their bedtime. Gingerly, Asriel lifted Frisk from their place on the floor and transported them to their bed. He then tucked their favorite blanket around them and set their goat in their arms. Immediately, they snuggled into the soft fabric and held their goat close. You turned off the lights and left the room with Asriel close behind.

Back downstairs, you prepared a pot of tea for Asriel and yourself. Ever since Frisk had been dropped at your door, Asriel had been spending more time here at your house. As a matter of fact, it seemed a lot of people started showing their faces around your home since the latest addition. You didn’t mind the company, but evenings like this were nice - just a cup of tea with a close friend and peace and quiet. You stirred some sugar into your steaming tea.

The hum of magic distracted you from your beverage. “Is that you?” you asked Asriel.

“Nope.” He looked around your kitchen warily. You tuned into the source of the magic, grasping at the unsure waves with your own. Before you could get a firm grasp on it, a pop of magic and a crash from your living room caught your attention. You shared a concerned look with Asriel before abandoning your tea to check on it.

“That was good, but you ended up in the wrong place,” you heard a familiar voice say from your living room.

As you stepped into the room, you saw Gaster standing near a toppled chair. Cambria poked her head out from behind it. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to end up in your house!”

You chuckled and shook your head. Of course, Cambria was of the age to start learning magic. “No worries. What are you up to?”

Cambria got to her feet and righted the chair before responding. “I’m learning to teleport! It’s really hard, though. I meant to just go to the other side of our living room, but…” she trailed off.

“That’s okay, you just need to practice. I know when I started learning, I nearly set my house on fire,” said Asriel from the doorway. “At least this isn’t nearly as destructive.”

You turned your attention to Gaster. “I thought you’d wait until she was ten to start teaching her magic.”

“I would have, but she wouldn’t stop pestering me. I figured if I started with something hard, she might be more patient, but that’s not the case. She’s only more determined to get it right.” Cambria wasn’t paying attention to you anymore, instead striking up a conversation with Asriel.

“That’s fair. Magic is exciting at that age.” You briefly remembered your own start to magic. “It’s like you suddenly have all the power in the world in your hands. I understand how she feels.”

“Yes, but still. They say ‘patience is a virtue’ for a reason.” He huffed. “She’s so unlike her brother in that respect.” Your eyes widened a fraction of a percent. Gaster rarely spoke of his two sons. You’d never formally met them, but you had seen them once during the war. Sans had been around twelve and Papyrus was barely three. His terrified expression was burned into your memory, right next to Sans’ deep-seated hatred.

You brushed those thoughts out of your mind. “Well, they say skeletons come in all fonts and variants of capitalization, don’t they?”

Gaster watched as Cambria refocused herself. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone say that, but think what you will.” Cambria disappeared and reappeared a few feet above the ground on the other side of the room. She fell to the ground with a thunk, but had the brightest smile on her face.

“Did you see that? I did it!” She got back to her feet and rushed over to you. “I did it! I teleported!”

Gaster laid a hand on her skull, giving her an affectionate pat. “Good job! Now you just need to work on staying on the ground.”

“That was great, Cam.” You gave her a proud smile that didn’t quite meet the brightness of hers, but it was pretty close.

“When do I get to learn how to fight?” she asked her father eagerly.

“Soon enough.” Cambria pouted. “Don’t give me that face. There will be plenty of time to learn as you grow older.”

“But it looks like so much fun…” she complained.

“If you don’t learn the basics first, you’ll never get very far in combat,” you told her. “Besides, even if it does look like fun, it can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.”

“But if I don’t start learning now, how am I ever gonna get as good as you?” She picked at the edge of her sleeve. “Azzy’s never even come close to beating you, and he’s had tons of practice.”

“Hey…”

“Tell you what.” Her eyes blinked up to you in interest. “Once you master the basics, I’ll train you like a real warrior. Deal?”

“Really?!”

You smiled at her eagerness. “Really. I promise.” You held out your pinky.

“Deal!” she said as she took your finger in hers.

A small thud from upstairs caught your attention. “Looks like we woke Frisk up,” Asriel pointed out. “I’ll go check on them.” He took the stairs two at a time and you heard his muffled conversation with Frisk.

“Sorry,” Cambria whispered.

“Don’t worry about it. While you two are here, would you like some tea? I made a pot earlier, but it should still be warm.” You glanced at Cambria to gauge her level of exhaustion after all that magic. She didn’t seem very tired, despite all the high-level magic she just used. Still, better safe than sorry.

“Your hospitality knows no bounds,” Gaster remarked and followed you to the kitchen. Thankfully, the tea was still warm enough that you didn’t need to reheat it.

As you poured them both cups of tea, Asriel came back down the stairs with Frisk in tow. “They had a nightmare,” he explained. Frisk ran over to you and hugged your legs. They still had their goat plushy gripped in one hand.

You bent down to their level and picked them up. “Would some tea make you feel better?” Frisk wiped their eyes and nodded. You poured another cup one-handed. Frisk settled on your lap instead of their own chair once all of you were settled. You had a feeling they would be joining you in your bed tonight. Cambria sat beside you and dramatically retold the story of her successful teleportation to Frisk, who seemed to brighten up at her presence. Despite the five year age difference between the two, they were great friends.

As Frisk neared the end of their tea, they let out a long yawn and rubbed at their eyes. “Getting tired, Frisk?” you asked. They shook their head ‘no’ but you could tell it was a lie. You finished the rest of your tea and, with Frisk still in your arms, rinsed both cups in the sink before setting them aside to clean in the morning. Gaster and Cambria took the hint and finished their tea as well and bid you farewell before heading home. “You can stay the night if you want, Asriel.”

He smiled as he finished his tea. “You haven’t changed my room, have you?”

“Of course not. I just make sure there are clean sheets and no dust bunnies running around. I even left all your socks on the floor, just how you like it,” you joked.

“How considerate of you.” He added his cup to the growing pile beside the sink. He stretched, loud pops coming from his back. “I’ll just have to go make sure. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Asriel.”

“Night, Azzy.” He waved as he ascended the stairs to his room.

You proceeded to turn off all the lights in the house and lock the doors. Frisk was practically asleep against your side by the time you followed Asriel up the stairs to your room.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” Frisk asked.

“Of course, you can,” you told them and went straight to your room. You settled them into your bed before you plugged in the night light you kept on your dresser for these occasions. You turned out the lights and joined them in the bed. They snuggled into your chest, content. Before long, their breathing evened out and you were sure they were asleep.

Frisk was warm against your chest and their slow, even breaths were calming. It wasn’t uncommon for them to have nightmares and come to your room for the night, which worried you. What could such a young kid be so scared of? Surely it wasn’t monsters - if it was, you would have an entirely new problem on your hands. Could it have been about abandonment? No, they couldn’t remember that. Perhaps it was just something imaginary that frightened them. Yes, that was the most likely reason. Kids have always had wild imaginations. You were just glad you could be of some comfort after those experiences. With that thought in mind, you drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

~

By the time you woke up, Frisk had already left your bed. You peeked at your clock from under the covers. It was much later than you usually woke up to make breakfast for yourself and Frisk, but Asriel was in the house, so he was probably downstairs making something. It was understandable that you were still asleep at this time - it had been a long night. Luther had shown up late last night for your monthly meet-up.

You didn’t really understand why you still needed to meet up when you were the only two mages left to “defend” Ebott. Nothing interesting had happened, anyway. Well, he didn’t think so, at least. If he knew about the village out your back door, he would freak out, but you would never let him find out. You had plenty of precautions in place to make sure he never got in. Asriel may have ended up being an issue if Luther decided to go upstairs, but he was a rather formal person, so he didn’t even entertain the thought of getting comfortable in your home. You were only slightly insulted when he refused to even sit in a comfortable chair in your living room. To make a long, boring story short: Luther showed up, nothing interesting happened, and he left several hours later. It may have even been longer if Frisk hadn’t woken up from a nightmare and sought you out, interrupting Luther’s spiel. You were glad they had at the time they did. One minute more and you would’ve kicked him out yourself.

You rubbed the sleep from your eyes and dragged yourself out of bed. You didn’t bother getting dressed before heading downstairs for breakfast, but you did note that Asriel wasn’t in his room. As you descended to the first floor, you were met with the sight of Asriel flipping pancakes for Frisk and Cambria. What was she doing here?

“Hey, (Y/n). Good morning,” Asriel said with a smile on his face. You had no idea how he could be so cheerful this early. “I’m making pancakes. Yes, there is coffee.” You hummed in response as you poured yourself a mug of coffee. You sat next to Frisk at the table and Asriel set a stack of pancakes in front of you.

“Thanks, Asriel.” He settled himself into the chair next to you with his own stack of pancakes and started digging in.

“So, Luther was here last night, wasn’t he?”

You groaned as you drowned your pancakes in your favorite syrup. “Yeah, he was.”

“Did he say anything interesting?”

“Nope. Just the usual. Though, he did bring up the lack of mages around.” You took a bite of your pancakes before continuing. “He thinks we need to bring our numbers back up to seven. I told him there were plenty of other places that actually need us, but he wasn’t having any of it.” You took a gulp of your scalding hot coffee, burning your throat. “I swear, he never listens to me. There aren’t that many mages around these days, and it’s not easy to make more. If he thinks we need more than us, then my theory that he’s a complete idiot must be true.”

“Who’s Luther?” Cambria asked.

“Oh no,” Asriel muttered.

“Luther is only the worst person I know,” you started, annoyance evident in your voice. “He’s the most self-absorbed person I’ve ever met, and I’ve met a lot of people over the years. Honestly, I can hardly stand him. He never takes into account logic or reasoning, he just charges in blindly and hopes for the best. Without the rest of us, he would’ve gotten himself killed in the war, hands down.” Your knuckles turned white from your grip on your fork. “That being said, he’s immensely powerful, and he never hesitates to do what I never could. He caused so much suffering, but he was renowned as a hero after the war. It’s a wonder he even survived it.”

“So, is he one of the seven mages that created the barrier?” Cambria asked.

“Yeah, but he didn’t really help much. He was always more of a brute force kind of mage, especially back in the day. He liked fighting more than studying recreational spells and their application in everyday life.” You took another large bite of pancake. “When we trained together, he wasn’t the best at controlling his magic, so he got frustrated a lot. He resorted to using his fists nine times out of ten when he did something wrong. Even when he mastered projectiles, he’d rather punch someone in the face than use them.”

“I’ve met him a few times, and I don’t really like him,” Frisk said. “He seems mean.”

“It’s a shame he’s the only other one still alive after all this time. I would’ve much preferred Mae or Charlotte. Even Victor would’ve been better, and I never liked him any more than Luther.”

“You don’t talk about the other mages much,” Asriel remarked.

“I know, I just… I’m not proud of what we had to do back then.” You poked at the soggy pancakes. “If you want to know about them, I don’t mind talking about them.”

“I’d like to know,” Cambria said. “I wasn’t alive back then, so I don’t really know anything about it.”

You took a sip of coffee. “Alright, but there’s a lot to unpack with them, so you might want to get comfortable.” Cambria leaned forward, eagerly awaiting the story. You cleared your throat.

“I should start by saying that I never really liked any of them very much. We were all stuck in a bad situation together and tensions were high. It wasn’t a place to make friends, no matter how much we needed them.  
“There are seven main soul traits, each of which corresponds to a color. Red, orange, yellow, green, light blue or cyan, indigo, and purple mean determination, bravery, justice, kindness, patience, integrity, and perseverance respectively.

“We’ll start with perseverance: Victor. He was weird if I’m being honest. He kept mostly to himself. I can’t recall ever having a casual conversation with him, even when we were young. I could never really tell what he was thinking, even after knowing him for so long. I never knew his thoughts on the war, which was a bit annoying. All I could tell was that he was merciless on the battlefield. He never let his emotions get the better of him.  
“Charlotte was the soul of integrity. She didn’t believe in the war in the slightest and was very vocal about it. Unfortunately, she didn’t know any other solution, so she went along with it. Given how timid she was, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was being threatened. She never would have gone along with it, otherwise. The war broke her… she died not long after the barrier was up.

“Mae was our patience soul. She was very similar to Charlotte in her views. She didn’t want to fight, but she believed everything would turn out alright in the end. Needless to say, it didn’t quite turn out how she wanted it to. She was very much the opposite of Luther when she was alive.

“The kindness soul was me. Like Charlotte and Mae, I thought there was a peaceful way to end the war, and I tried to find one. I suggested the barrier, and after a vote, we were in agreement. But, that’s a story for another day.

“Geneva had the soul trait of justice. She believed monsters deserved every bit of brutality from humans for even the thought of… well, the incident that started the war. Again, it’s a story for another day. She was quick-witted, smart, a force to be reckoned with. Sometimes, I wonder if it was just a front she put up to get Arthur’s attention. I’ve never seen someone so obsessed with another person in my life.

“Luther, as you may have guessed, has a soul of bravery. He was one of the only one of us that volunteered to fight. He believes in fighting for ‘his people’ to his dying breath. He was often remembered as the most ‘valiant’ of us, and I’d be lying if I said he didn’t enjoy the attention. He loved fighting, and he loved when people cheered his name as he passed by. These days, no one remembers what he did. He’s often complained about people ‘forgetting their heroes’, not that anyone should have thought of him as a hero in the first place.

“Lastly, there’s Arthur. His soul was red. Determination. Arthur was the best fighter I’ve ever seen. He could predict anything anyone would do at any particular moment. In the entire time we trained together, I never landed one hit on him. No one did. He never let anything stop him from getting what he wanted, and he wanted to end the war, no matter how much blood was spilled, no matter how much dust was scattered. For a while, I thought he was intent on genocide - the extinction of all monsters. He nearly went insane with power before we put up the barrier. It took a lot out of us all. It’s a wonder he agreed to it at all, considering how everything was going. I thought for sure he’d turn on us if we went through with it. After the barrier was put up, he went… cold. I don’t know how else to put it. It was like the war never happened and he was back to the cold calculating Arthur I met when we were younger. It was disturbing.”

You peered into your cooling mug of coffee before taking a sip. “That’s about it, really. I didn’t get to know any of them that well, so I don’t know their innermost thoughts and feelings.”

“Did Geneva and Arthur ever go on a date?” Cambria asked. You chuckled at the silly question.

“Yeah, actually, they did. Eventually, they got married and had a bunch of kids, too. I had to be there for their wedding and it the most over-the-top event I’ve ever been to.”

“This Arthur guy sounds… intense,” Asriel remarked.

“Yeah,” you agreed, “he was. Married life really did mellow him out, though. His kids were the same way.” There was a knock on the back door. “Come in!”

The door creaked open and closed. “Is Cambria there?” came the voice of Gaster.

“Yeah, we were just having breakfast.”

“Aunt (Y/n) was telling us about the other mages,” she said as Gaster appeared in the doorway. “They sound like jerks.”

A dark look crossed his face. “That would be an understatement.” He didn’t elaborate.

You stood to refill your mug. Clearly, one cup would not be enough for today. “Coffee?”

“Yes, thank you.” He took a seat at the table next to his daughter. “It’s started snowing out there. It’ll be a cold winter this year.”

“Can you feel it in your _bones?”_ Cambria asked with a smug grin.

“Young lady, it is far too early in the morning for you to start with your jokes.” But there was a smile on his face.

“I think my jokes are pretty _humerus._ ”

“Honestly, the things I put up with…”

“There’s _snow_ reason not to laugh, even if it is morning. You know what they say: Sun’s out, puns out.”

Gaster buried his head in his hands and groaned as you set a steaming cup of coffee in front of him. Cambria was grinning like an idiot and Frisk was barely holding back giggles.

“So, was there a reason you showed up, or was it just for torture through puns?” you asked.

“ _Tibia_ honest, I’m offended you think they’re torturous. My jokes are _punny.”_

“Well, I was going to start you on the basics of fighting today, but I might just put that off another week.”

As though she didn’t hear the last half of that sentence, Cambria jumped up from her seat, very nearly knocking over her glass of orange juice. “Really?! Can we start now?!”

“Breakfast first, then I’ll think about it,” he compromised. With a huge smile on her face, Cambria shoveled the rest of her pancakes into her mouth and finished her drink. Asriel slipped a stack of pancakes in front of Gaster.

“I’m gonna wait outside,” Cambria said before pulling on her shoes and bolting out the back door.

Gaster sighed and cut into his food. “I don’t know where she gets all that energy. It’s a mystery.”

“Well, she’s a kid.” You took a sip of coffee. “And she just had a plate of pancakes covered in maple syrup, so that might have something to do with it. Really, who knows?”

Asriel joined you at the table with a plate of pancakes for himself. “It’s the whole ‘learning magic’ thing. When I was a kid, I was just as excited to learn. That was probably the only thing I was excited to learn, actually.” He applied a generous amount of syrup to his pancakes. “I wanted to show off to all my friends what I could do. Chara was so jealous when they saw me starting fires out of nothing.” He smiled at the memory.

“I don’t remember being that excited as a child…” Gaster muttered.

“We already knew Cam takes after her mother,” you pointed out. “She certainly has her sense of humor.” A troubled look crossed his face. “Anyway, she’s waiting out there for you, so you’d better eat fast. Something tells me she doesn’t have your patience.”

“I know she doesn’t, but it can be learned.”

“Good luck with that,” you said through the last bit of coffee in your mug. “I am interested in her talents. It’s been a while since we’ve had a kid learning magic around here.”

“Yes, it has. Though, I can’t say I’m not grateful the population isn’t growing too quickly. There’s only so much space here, and pocket dimensions are fickle things.”

“It’s a good thing we have you around, or I never would’ve figured it out.” You stood from the table to rinse your mug. “Illusions only work until some kid walks through it.” Gaster grunted in agreement.  
  
Breakfast was finished in comfortable silence, and the dishes were left to soak in the warm, soapy water.

Gaster pulled his shoes on and left out the back door to meet his daughter. Frisk looked after him, then over to you in questioning. “They’re going out to teach Cam to properly use her magic in a confrontational setting.” You’d learned not to dumb it down for Frisk just after they’d started talking. They were a smart kid, especially for a four-year-old. “Did you want to watch?” They nodded and slid out of their chair. You helped them into their shoes and jacket, looking to Asriel with brows raised in question. He stood to join the two of you.

You stepped onto the snow-blanketed ground outside with a satisfying crunch. Cambria and Gaster were just about to get started in the empty area near your house. Cambria gave an excited wave when she noticed you, prompting you to come closer and watch, which you did. You couldn’t quite hear what Gaster said, but it sounded like a scolding - perhaps for losing her focus. You, Asriel, and Frisk took your places at the edge of the field, far enough away so that no one would get caught in the crosshairs. Cambria turned her undivided attention to her father, eager but contained.

_Let’s see what she has to work with, then._


End file.
